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FeVRier: Experiences I NEED in VR

I’ve been playing through ‘Resident Evil VII’ in VR and it is one incredible experience. Here we have Virtual Reality and my favourite gaming series of all time combined together in a beautiful union and the resulting experience is quite simply one that defines my gaming career.

There are no words to express just how right a fit ‘Resident Evil VII’ is for PSVR (well there are words, but wait for the review yeah?) and how it gives me exactly what I wanted from it – it gave me the opportunity to live in a horror movie. And it is stunning – I’ve been scared loads, I’ve frozen on the spot on more than just a few occasions and I’ve not wanted to continue more times than I’m proud of. None of these feelings overpower the experience. Looking down that corridor in stereoscopic 3D is mind-blowingly cool; knowing that I may get attacked by a horrific creature is not only terrifying; but exhilarating.

It got me thinking about VR and how it transports you into another world. Worlds in which anything is possible and nothing is out-of-bounds. I’ve compiled a massive list of the experiences that I NEED for PSVR; but here are what I consider my top 3…

3) Tron

When you think about it; Tron is about a man who gets sucked into his computer and has to battle to get out – basically VR! You don a helmet and get “sucked into” your games and then you have to fight the awesome experience in order to get back into the real world!

Remember how Jeff Bridges had to escape the prison and had to take on Master Control Program in a handful of games for his freedom? Well imagine being able to play the light disc game, or the weird ball game thing but most of all imagine being able to participate in online 4 player light-cycle battles! IN VR! It would be incredible!

I’d much rather see the light-cycles from ‘Tron: Legacy’ but what I envisage for this is 4 players engaged in a dangerous ride that only one can emerge from. Driving in straight lines; trying to avoid the other players trails and performing daring right angle turns!

The graphics will be stylish and the sense of speed would be incredible (if every racing game in VR is anything to go by). On top of this is the fact that it is pure skill based which means it is perfectly suited to an eSport – I’d watch light-cycle tournaments! HELL I’d take part in them too!

To be fair though the entire Tron world is VR so it’s a surprise to see that no-one has mined it for all its worth yet – especially given the quality of experience the headset can give you nowadays!

2) Witness Historical Events

This is the History nerd coming out in me now, but this is something that I have been dreaming of since I watched Quantum Leap as a kid!

Imagine a technology that could transport you back through time to experience the events that changed human history.

Imagine being put into Neil Armstrong’s helmet as he takes his first step out of the Eagle on the surface of the moon, walking on the surface of another celestial body and turning back to gaze upon the Earth. That would give me chills.

Or being able to witness the shooting of JFK from the top floor window of the Texas School Book Depository. Why not jump to Senlac Hill in 1066 and watch military strategy at both its best and worst; or you could even travel back to the very beginning and see the universe being born.

I know it sounds corny and as if I’ve nicked this entire idea from Assassin’s Creed; but it would genuinely be fantastic for people with the interest, and schools with the means to experience it. This idea could revolutionise education and that must be targeted and if achieved…celebrated!

Maybe this is my million-pound idea?

1) Star Wars: The Trench Run

Yes I know that ‘Battlefront’ got a VR mission recently, yes it is an incredible experience and yes it is exactly as you imagined an X-Wing VR mission would be and more…

…but it’s not iconic enough. While there is a very real sense of presence in that X-Wing cockpit – everything you remember from the movie is there – and indeed it feels and plays amazing. But there was something in the back of my head the whole time I played it, it kept telling me that a Death Star assault would’ve been much cooler…

…and that is absolutely correct. I don’t just want a death star assault and trench run, I NEED it!

I remember playing the Atari Star Wars arcade machine as a kid and being blown away by how authentic it looked and felt. The trench run was mind-blowing back then (trust me).Then SEGA did the game and it looked, sounded and played even better…

I also remember playing ‘Rogue Leader’ on the Gamecube and again, being blown away by the authenticity of the experience. Until playing the VR X-Wing mission; ‘Rogue Leader’ was the pinnacle of Star Wars video games – but nothing prepares you for the combined awesomeness of Star Wars and VR!

Following orders as you get through endless waves of TIE fighters as you creep closer to your destination. All around you there are explosions, you look from side to side witnessing epic dog fights and watching your comrades try and fail to get into that trench. Then, taking the situation into your own hands, you soar past the turbo lasers whilst taking down TIE fighters and then making your daring break for the trench before fending off Vader and turning on your targeting computer and taking down the Death Star (all with the incredible 360 degree audio).

I got chills writing that.

I have no doubt that a VR Trench Run would be the stuff of dreams and I implore EA to make this happen…

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5 thoughts on “FeVRier: Experiences I NEED in VR”

The light cycles in VR would be really cool but I think there would need to be more to it to avoid it becoming stale. Game variants and such.
A VR fighting game could be good, something like the one that was on Kinect only not a steaming heap of trash.